by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 29, 2013 | Entrepreneur, Small Business
Wandering aimlessly in the entrepreneurial desert generates a destination unknown. You need processes, procedures and best practices to instigate change and growth in your business. Successful entrepreneurs aren’t about being willy nilly but instead, implementing systems for a well-defined and productive business machine: The Company.
“Business System Planning (BSP) is a method for analyzing, defining and designing an information architecture of organizations. The result of a BSP project is an actionable roadmap that aligns technology investments to business strategy.” Wikipedia
- Direction and clarity will ensure a positive journey to your success.
- Systematizing your business flow and daily operations is only part of the expansion channel.
- Systems and plans help build momentum.
- Systems help you to uncover your low-payoff activities
- Systems allow you to teach others to do many of the daily tasks so you don’t need to wear all of the hats.
- Systems save time and money
It is easy to get caught up and manage your business on auto-pilot; just taking care of whatever comes your way and some of yesterday’s hits but unless you clearly outline your objectives, something is bound to get lost in the shuffle.
“A system breaks down your businesses processes and sets verifiable checkpoints with expected outcomes for each task. Bulletproof business systems that boost profits while freeing up time and expenses.” Nick Reese
2 things you should have:
- Systems: Documentation of your processes/procedures for general structure and policies as well as your online activities
- Planning: Goals/action steps
Some may believe that this kind of structure is too rigid but being the architect of your life and your business, is the road to achievement. Systems create routine work in a standardized way with implementable action steps to scale your company.
Systems are your framework to outline expectations for yourself and those your work with. Embrace organization to achieve excellence. Once you invest your time and energy on the foundation, your day becomes more simplified. More productive. More profitable.
“A business without a commercial sales/marketing system is the same thing as trying to drive from Chicago to New York without a map, while blindfolded. The chance of getting to where you want to be is next to none!” Michael Trow
Creating Systems:
- Make a list of your systems: sales, marketing, social media, accounting, customer retention…….
- Record the procedures that are vital to your everyday operations.
- Note who is responsible for each step and level within your organization.
- Make sure your team follows through with their processes as well.
- Anticipate problems and solutions as part of your methodology.
- Document the desired outcomes with answers to different potential scenarios and how to handle them.
- Use flowcharts and or spreadsheets
- What systems or procedures can be automated?
- How will you implement your automation (document it)?
- Track your digital automation procedures/successes
With a system in place, you will know exactly what needs to be done, how, when, and why.
“The development of internal processes and systems is vital for defining the parameters by which specific tasks are to be accomplished. The trick for the leader is to not get caught up in weighty process and the metrics they produce, but to authentically be aware of the activities on the front line that contribute to happy customers.” Patti Blackstaffe
When you systemize your business, you learn how and what to automate enabling you to also delegate routine tasks so that you can grow faster and focus on doing what you love. Imagine the time you save with your systems in place. Your day would flow with greater ease. You would have more structure and a deeper understanding of the daily processes. Your team would have clarity and accountability. Your business would be positioned for growth and increased profits.
Jump start your business with systems. After you have completed this process, the next step is your planning of goals and action steps for each day, each month, for the year.
Make it happen.
Image credit: Pixabay.com
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 27, 2013 | Productivity
Buried under a mire of paperwork, To Do lists, daily administrative tasks and long range projects can be the crazed life of any entrepreneur. Just how much can one person successfully and effectively manage?
In thinking about all of the various hats you toss in the ring every day, which one is the most important?
- Marketer?
- Sales Rep?
- Bookkeeper?
- Social Media Manager?
- Receptionist?
- Travel Agent?
- Content Curator?
- Graphic Designer?
- IT?
- Event Planner?
- Customer Liaison?
This list is short and probably doesn’t even come close to fully accessorizing your head. While we love colors and fashion, the constant switching on and off of duties is counterproductive, wastes your valuable time and doesn’t represent your core genius. They are the low payoff activities that are necessary to run your business but do they require YOUR attention?
If you made a list of tasks that are associated with each category, what would your day look like?
Pretty overwhelming I am sure.
Have you considered tracking your day? Keeping a spreadsheet or notebook of EVERYTHING you do on a daily basis to keep your business operating smoothly, generating income, grooming current customers and converting leads? It seems daunting, but it is an exercise to make you more aware of your time and energies spent.
Where should you fully invest your efforts?
Here’s your challenge: test out the concept for 3-5 days and see what is on your list. If you would rather have a little digital help, Rescue Time will show you how you spend your time on the computer. You still may need a pen and pencil or the keyboard, but aren’t you curious where the day goes?
Review and analyze your data. What do you see? Any common themes? Did you miss any deadlines or appointments? Was something only half finished or not really in your expertise? Did you have any time for yourself? Downtime is important to refresh and get clarity but if you are busy flopping hats on your head and watching the clock tick, you forgo some well-deserved leisure.
Consider this: Are you tired and burnout? Is it time to delegate to increase your efficiency and productivity?
You may be facing some roadblocks to delegating but you can easily overcome your objections and learn about the benefits of working with a remote team.
Image credit: profitablegrowth.com
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 22, 2013 | Guest Blogger, Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants | Your Small Business Secret to Success
This morning I woke up and started the day knowing that the tasks I find tedious, and other tasks, are done thanks to my team of “virtual assistants.” Lourdes Wellhaven.
I didn’t start my career as a self-employed person with a team. Instead, I took the hard route. I went the typical I’ll-make-it-happen-somehow-bravado route. I slept very little and sacrificed a lot to get my business off the ground. In a few short months it became clear that I needed help and fast. I thought that the logical next step was to hire my first employee. I chose well, I thought to have hired a dear friend who needed a part-time job.
Sure I had heard that it’s not good idea to hire a friend or family member. But that warning was for “other people.” I soon found out that I was not immune to the same issues that every start-up has when they hire people they care about. Unfortunately that business relationship ended badly and the friendship ended with it. That employer/employee relationship was followed by a series of additional similar situations, some working really well, but most, not so much.
I hired an HR Coach to tell me what I was doing wrong. In a few short hours he came up with a recommendation that was very surprising. He advised me to hire Virtual Assistants for everything. Yes, a VA for every single possible job function my firm needed or would ever need in the future, no exceptions.
I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept. My concerns were endless. But he described to me in detail how he himself works exclusively with VA’s. I took his advice, albeit with baby steps in the beginning, but have not looked back since.
Here’s what I’ve learned in the process
- Labor costs have dramatically decreased: It may appear at first glance that I’m paying more for an “assistant” per hour than I did before but that’s not true and here’s why: There are many other costs besides the hourly wage rate associated with a traditional employee including paid-time-off, fringe benefits, insurance, worker’s comp, retirement etc. If you are truly using the services of an independent contractor (check IRS regulations) then there are no other additional hourly expenses.
- Production has increased: I was more than a little shocked to realize that what my traditional employee was taking 40 hours to complete was quickly and efficiently done by my VA in 10 hours.
- Team spirit has been enhanced: Virtual team members have a very different mindset primarily because the business relationship is different. I’m not their boss, I’m their client. Astoundingly my VA’s act as if they have a bigger vested interest in my success.
- Internal Control has increased: Internal control in an accounting term whereby a company puts policies and procedures in place to ensure the accuracy of financial data and the safeguarding of resources. I thought that having remote employees would compromise internal control, but instead, I’ve found that with the help of technology, it has been enhanced.
- My company benefits from the experience a VA has with other clients. My VA’s each serve lots of different clients. This means they get really good at doing that “one thing” and have specialized in certain tasks. Further, because they serve so many different clients daily with those specialized skills, they have a much deeper understanding than any traditional employee could ever hope to.
- I can easily scale up or down as my workload warrants. Projects start and complete and I can enlist help on an as-needed basis instead of being stressed about providing enough work for my employees on an ongoing basis. It’s a huge responsibility to hire someone. That’s a pressure I simply do not have to deal with any longer.
Sure I miss the water-cooler talk from time to time and the camaraderie of having others in-house. There is always a give and take with everything in life. For me, though, I’d rather sacrifice the social aspects of having an in-office staff for the happiness that I get from knowing that I’m working smarter for myself and my clients.
Guest Author Lourdes Wellhaven:
by Lourdes Welhaven – Lourdes is the host of the Networker for Business Women effort and podcast which is owned and run by Welhaven and Associates for the benefit of women in business everywhere. Lourdes is also the Founder and Publisher of Little Pampered Dog “The Lifestyle Magazine for Little Pampered Dogs and the People Who Love Them.” You can download your free copy of the app and a free issue for your iPad, iPhone or iPod here: www.littlepampereddog.com/download
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 20, 2013 | Blogging, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media
Content attracts
Marketing has drastically changed over the past several decades in terms of the delivery methods but no matter how you look it, it is still content driven and always will be. It used to be solely about print media and ad space but now it is more about vying for attention from your online audience. This can be the biggest constraint but with the right content, geared toward the right market, you have an opportunity to be seen and heard.
Consumers consume content: Feed them a healthy rich diet.
“The single most significant trend is the continued emergence of content marketing as a standalone discipline. Content, in all its shapes and forms, is core to everything we do as marketers.” Econsultancy.
You need remarkable content. Just what is that?
Remarkable content is written for your buyers and their needs. You are here to provide solutions to their questions and problems. When you can do this, you will see a higher conversion rate. You have the opportunity to attract your audience with compelling content and images through your blog posts, website, e-newsletters and online discussions.
How will these statistics influence your content marketing strategy? (courtesy of WSI)
- 79% of marketers report that content is more effective than paid advertising.
- Blogs have 434% more indexed pages
- 90% of consumers find content useful
Research:
- Your audience, your buyers and their key drivers of what makes them tick.
- Where do they hang out?
- What interests them most?
When creating your content, think about some of the common questions you have been asked.
- What problems does your product or service solve?
- How will your product or service help them improve their career, their daily lives?
- What makes it difficult for them to do what they need to do on a daily basis?
- What are their obstacles to success?
Your solution based content can produce reactions and needs to your offerings. Help your readers thrive and flourish.
Feed their hunger.
Invest in your content: 60% of the sales cycle is over before the buyer speaks with your sales team says HubSpot. This means it is up to your content to drive the message home with your blogs, ebooks, webinars and any other online content. “People don’t need to be told how awesome you are, let them come to you.” @sbedrick #BDNMaineWhatsNext
Content is more than text: Use images. They capture attention, invoke emotion, are more widely shared and help to simplify your message. Share the images on your social networks like Facebook and Pinterest. Articles with images receive 94% more views.
“Harnessing the power of images and visuals will make your marketing more powerful and more memorable.” Anita Campbell.
In a 2012 study by ROI Research, they found that 44% of respondents were more likely to engage with brands who shared pictures. This is a pretty big number that shouldn’t be overlooked. Visual content is fast becoming an important force for online communications. Pictures communicate your message quickly and succinctly. Consider the rise of infographics! This is a huge market to disseminate a variety of information, share data and statistics. Fav 5 Infographics
Here is an informative overview about the tools and benefits of visual marketing: How to Optimize Your Marketing for the Visual Marketing Revolution
“Blog posts became Facebook updates and Tumblr posts, which shrunk to Tweets and finally to Instagram or Pinterest. Here’s how smart brands are navigating the new visual social-media era.” Ekaterina Walter.
Share your “remarkable” content on your social media channels. Make sure it is a mix of third party articles which are industry specific and rich, some of your content and blog posts that are solving problems and answering questions and finally your company’s landing pages which is for the final lead conversion process. Your goal is for your audience to not only read and visit your site but to also share your content and materials.
Is your content:
- Sticky
- Useful
- Engaging
- Educational
- Problem-solving
- Insightful
- Branding
- Experiential
When you post poor content, you don’t get visitors.
When you don’t get visitors, you lose money.
When you lose money,
You close your doors.
Don’t close your doors, write rich compelling content.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Aug 15, 2013 | Guest Blogger, Small Business
Focus on sales to reach calculated, repeatable success. Why? Mediocrity is, well, ‘boring’!
If you’re reading this the chances are that you are working with Ace Concierge (or thinking about how a Virtual Assistant can help your business) and enjoying the gift of time.
Kudos!
For most businesses (of any shape, size and look) outsourcing areas of business is a must. You know you have special skills. You know you have passions. You know your strengths can’t possibly lie in all the areas required to run a business.
So what now?
Does outsourcing mean you can spend more time on the beach sipping fruity cocktails out of a coconut shell?
Possibly.
The likelihood is that you are looking to leverage the new found time, peace of mind and rejuvenated focus working ON your business.
Where do you start? Well, that depends entirely on you, your business and the priorities that you feel deserve the attention you can afford them.
Where will you need to focus your attention? Sales.
(Save the jeers and tomato throwing!)
Yes, at some point to reach a point of predictable success your business will need to focus on sales and processes.
Marketing is vital. Especially if you think about marketing as the act of raising awareness of your business to your target market(s).
Sales is essential.
In essence, as small business owners our goal is to spend as much time as possible service those we are meant to serve. Our ideal clients.
In order to this we need to have a proportionate amount of sales conversations with prospects to encourage them to make the step up from prospect to highly valued client.
This much, we know.
Getting to the point of having these sales conversations is subject largely to the processes that we have in place to enable this to happen.
There 5 processes to implement on the road to successful growth.
5 Commercial Processes To Address In Your Business
- The Lead Generation Process – The act of encouraging prospects to have a sales conversation
- The Sales Process – the process of taking a prospect from potential target, through qualified prospect to valued paying client
- The Follow Up Process – The act of ensuring all leads are informed through the process
- The Lead Nurturing Process – A process dedicated to those that have illustrated an interest in your offer but have declined to purchase at this time
- The Data/CRM Process – The strategy behind contact management and analyzing your progress
Without knowing you I would like to say that I believe you to be compelling, genuine and passionate when speaking with prospective clients. Most small business owners and solopreneurs are and this is because of the belief you have in yours and your businesses ability.
Complacency can creep in bit by bit. As such, generate and implement process to ensure continued success and longevity.
This will make the fruity cocktails taste oh so much sweeter.
If you’re interested in learning more about this, sales processes and more, download a free copy of my report and short e-book here.
Guest Post by Michael Trow
Michael Trow is the owner of Michael Trow Enterprises LLC where he helps small to medium sized businesses grow by working with them to improve the effectiveness of their sales and marketing. Michael is a facilitator at the Workforce Development Program locally and has been sitting on the board for the Tallahassee chapter of The ASTD.
Michael has lived and worked in four continents, done business all over the world through a 12 year sales and marketing career. During this time he has helped launch new business units, lead and train sales teams and been responsible for growing businesses through front line sales and marketing. He is a self-proclaimed dog lover, wine appreciator and out of practice musician!
Connect with Michael
